


But the Arms of the Ocean Delivered Me

by LadyKnightOfHollyrose



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Angst, Friendship, Gravity!AU, M/M, they could have had it aaaaaall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-09
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-06 20:18:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3147263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightOfHollyrose/pseuds/LadyKnightOfHollyrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto, for better or worse, has always been a little faint hearted.</p>
<p>Given his current circumstances, he feels that he might be somewhat justified in feeling completely terrified but it often begs the question as to why he would put himself through something so utterly dangerous when he’s fully aware of his disposition.</p>
<p>And well. If he had the presence of mind for idle thought at the moment, he’d probably be wondering that himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	But the Arms of the Ocean Delivered Me

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt 'Letters' for MakoRin week on tumblr (which this is incredibly late for but oh well)

Makoto, for better or worse, has always been a little faint hearted.

Given his current circumstances, he feels that he might be somewhat justified in feeling  _completely terrified_  but it often begs the question as to why he would put himself through something so utterly dangerous when he’s fully aware of his disposition.

And well. If he had the presence of mind for idle thought at the moment, he’d probably be wondering that himself.

Still, as valid as the wish to question his life choices is at this point in time, he doesn’t have the luxury to waste thought on anything other than his focus on regulating his breathing; on slowing his panicked gasps, on calming the frenetic beat of his heart, on conserving what little oxygen he has left.

He can’t see Rin anymore.

Makoto’s vision is blurring, and it’s not just from the feeling of mounting hysteria that’s bubbling through his veins and up his throat. With nothing in the vicinity to grab onto for purchase, Makoto’s spinning with no way to stop as he drifts further and further from the Space Station.

'Grab onto anything you can,' had been the last thing Rin had said to him before they had crashed into the Station, and Makoto had  _tried_. He’d smashed into it, his back hitting the side of the Station before he bounced away and tumbled through the air. His fingers had scrabbled through the heavy space suit to catch a groove or panel or  _something_  as he shot by, but he’d been moving for too fast to grip anything.

Rin had slammed into it face first, and Makoto’s panicked gasps had been so loud by then that if the other had said anything since, he hadn’t heard it.

“ _Rin_ ,” he wheezed, praying for a sign,  _anything_  to show the other astronaut was still with him. 

For a few moments, the strangled sound of his own breathing and the loud thump of his heart was the only thing breaking the unbearable silence.

Then he heard the cursing; Rin’s disgruntled voice filtering through the tinny crackle of the speaker fitted into his helmet was music to his ears.

His relief, however, was incredibly short lived.

Makoto felt his whole body jerk as he fell to one side of on of the Space Station’s solar wings, Rin dragged by the force of his momentum to the other side of the panel as the tether that kept them bound snagged over the edge between them.

And although it meant that Makoto had stopped  _spinning_  his heart plummeted as the tether strained against the sharp edge before  _snapping_.

 

"We’re detached," he gasped desperately, "we-"

 

"I know." Rin’s voice his hoarse, and his tone strained, but there’s a steel in it that Makoto can’t help but take strength from even now. "You’re gonna have to grab onto something Makoto; doesn’t matter what as long as it’s not debris but you’ve  _got to hold on_.”

 

"Bossy," Makoto mutters weakly, hands reaching out frantically to do as instructed. But he’s nearing the end of the Station and running out of surfaces that he’ll be able to grab. He’s drifting to far, he can’t  _reach_  anything, and he sounds a little strangled as he says, “always asking for the impossible Rin, really,” and then his body jerks to a halt  _again._  


 

He can barely dare to look, but as he gazes down the line of his suit he spots one of his legs tangled into a mess of cord. He dangles from the station like the pendulum of an old, worn grandfather clock, and his vision swims at the sight of the Earth below him. Still, the cord seems secure for the moment.

 

He’s barely had the chance to catch his breath when he hears Rin through his speaker again. “Fuck, Makoto incoming!”

 

Makoto glances up; sure enough, a bulky space suit is hurtling towards him and as Rin glances past Makoto reaches for his hand, stretches his fingers as far as they’ll go. They’re but a whisker apart, but when Makoto closes his grip his fingers curl around empty space as Rin floats by.

 

"No, no, no, I won’t let this happen, no,  _Rin_.”

 

He can’t fail him; he  _won’t_.

 

Makoto tries to sway forward, feels the creak of the cord winding on his leg even if he can’t hear it, and  _stretches_  until he manages to catch hold of something and  _yanks_.

 

It doesn’t do much, but at least Rin stops moving.

 

Looking down at the the literal life line he’s clutching at, he finds the other end of the tether that had fluttered away from him not so long ago.

 

He could almost cry in relief.

 

"I’ve got you." The cord around his leg is pulled taut, and Makoto strengthens his hold on the tether that connects them once more. "I’m going to reel you in, just hold on."

 

Keeping hold with one hand, he slides the other up the tether and pulls steadily towards himself. Makoto’s leg trembles, and he feels something give slightly, but he doesn’t spare it any thought. He  _needs_ to get Rin back and they can figure everything else out from there. He wobbles slightly a he starts the process again, carefully sliding one hand up the tether while the other clutches the end close to his chest to keep it secure.

 

"Hey, Makoto." Rin’s voice is subdued, and when Makoto looks up there’s a strange look on his face. There’s a deep well of unease welling in the pitt of Makoto’s stomach and whatever it is that Rin wants to say, he’s pretty sure he doesn’t want to hear it right now.

 

"Just a few more and I’ll be able to grab you properly," he says instead, willing Rin not to go on.

 

No such luck. Not that he’s had much of that recently.

 

“ _Makoto_. Listen. You have to let me go.”

 

Makoto’s blood freezes. “No.  _No_ , I’m pulling you in, I’ve  _got_  you.”

 

There’s no way he’s letting go and he  _can’t_  lose Rin; not again. _  
_  


 

Not when they’ve finally met again after so many years; after Makoto had convinced himself he’d never see his friend again after Rin had moved from Japan to Australia. After that last flame of hope had gone out when his own family had then moved to America.

 

They’ve had so little time; he’s barely begun to unravel the new experiences that protect the Rin he knew as a child, has barely made up for the time lost or things unsaid.

 

"The cord on your foot is coming loose," says Rin in his most reasonable voice, and it’s almost like they’re back in their last year of elementary school going over homework. "If you don’t let go I’ll pull you along with me and we’ll both die."

 

"We’re fine, look! I  _can’t_  let you go Rin. I  _won’t do it_.”

 

This time when he pulls he feels the cord twang from his leg, feels himself float forward a little until the cord holds him in place again but he doesn’t care by this point. 

 

"You’re not going anywhere."

 

Rin looks him in the eye, and the smile on his lips is fond and affectionate. It breaks Makoto’s heart.

 

"That’s not up to you, Makoto."

 

His hands are on the clip where the tether is attached to his belt.

 

"No. Please don’t do this." Makoto’s throat is closing up, and he sounds so small and young. From the way Rin’s eyes close for a brief moment, Makoto knows he hears the unspoken,  _please don’t leave me_ _._  


 

The Clip is unhooked, and Rin gives him one last roguish grin. “You’re gonna make it Makoto, even if you are a big scaredy cat.”

 

And then he lets go.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow why do I do this to myself? (This being both the angst and the falling so far behind with the event that it is now another year entirely orz)
> 
> Anyway the next (and last) one - because yes, I am determined to still write something for every prompt even with being so freaking late - is set to be a lot happier so there’s that at least XD I wanted to get this posted before my birthday but that obviously didn’t happen. But finish it (eventually) I did, so I’ll count that as a win XD Happy new year everyone!


End file.
